Heatwave: stay safe

26 June 2018

Written by: Lambeth Council

As we all enjoy the sunshine, it is important to keep safe during the hot weather. The Met Office has forecast high temperatures in parts of England at least until the end of the week. You can find practical ways to keep cool and safe in the ‘Beat the Heat’ poster.

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Temperatures in London hit 30 degrees this week and the Met Office has issued a heatwave warning until at least the end of the month. “There is an 80 per cent chance of heatwave conditions between 9am on Tuesday and 6pm on Thursday in parts of England”. Public Health England asks all councils to share advice from the NHS on staying safe.

Why is a heatwave a problem?

The main risks in a heatwave are:

dehydration (not having enough water)

overheating,

heat exhaustion and heatstroke

Who is most at risk?

Anyone’s health can be at risk, but especially:

older people, especially over 75s

babies and young children

people with serious chronic conditions, especially heart or breathing problems

people with mobility problems – for example, Parkinson’s disease or a stroke

people with serious mental health problems

people taking medicines that affect sweating and temperature control

people who misuse alcohol or drugs

people who are physically active in the heat – eg labourers or people doing sports.

Top 10 hints for heatwaves

Try to keep out of the sun in the hottest part of the day (11am to 3pm)

If you have to go out, wear cotton clothes that don’t fit too tight

Carry a bottle of water

Drink water – caffeine in tea, coffee or cola, or sugary or alcoholic drinks all make you more dehydrated

Walk in the shade, put sun block on and wear a hat

Look out for others (especially older people, young children, babies and people with heart or breathing problems)

Close the curtains in rooms that face the sun. It might be cooler outside than indoors.